STORY OF ELAVARKUZHALI

STORY OF ELAVARKUZHALI 

Dear friends , 

This is an interesting story I read about Elavarkuzhali from the net, very much condensed and edited. The story was interesting and I thought of sharing with all my friends. 

Sincerely,

Gopala Krishnan 18-10-09. 

Reposted after editing for language on 4-10-2020. R Gopala krishnan 

1.Auvaiyar rest in a depilated Pavilion 

Once Auvaiyar  was walking  along a lonely area in the evening when the sun was about to set. She searched for a  place to stay and spend the night. She found a depilated old pavilion, which was in ruins. 

While she was preparing to rest, a group of passers-by went hurrying that way. When they saw Auvaiyar, they stopped in their tracks and told her to come with them to the village nearby. But Auvaiyar refused, stating that the place was enough for her. She was too tired to go on anywhere. The villagers told her that the pavilion was haunted by a fierce ghost, which killed anyone who stayed in that place. But Auvaiyar told them that she would look after herself. So the villagers reluctantly left.  Auvaiyar lay down to rest.  

2. Ghost appear in the Pavilion 

During the first jamam, there was rustling with which turned into a strong wind with lightings. Suddenly a ghost appeared.It came threateningly and uttered, "eRRomaRRe RROmaRReRRu!"  

 Auvaiyar sang a verse with a specific meaning, which ended in the phrase, 'eRRomaRRe RROmaRReRRu'.     The ghost gave a loud shriek and disappeared. 

3.Ghost reappears again in each Yama 

At the beginning of the second jamam, it appeared again accompanied by a greater show of eerie force. 

In a louder voice, it uttered the same 'eRRomaRReRROmaRReRRu'. Auvaiyar sang a different verse with a different content, which all the same ended with 'eRRomaRRe RROmaRReRRu'. 

It emitted a loud scream and disappeared. 

At the beginning of the third jamam, the ghost reappeared with even more forceful entry. It came near and menacingly boomed, "eRRomaRReRROmaRReRRu". 

Auvaiyar was undaunted by this display and sang another verse with a still more different content and which ended with 'eRRomaRRe RROmaRReRRu'. The ghost gave loud wail and disappeared. 

At the beginning of the fourth jamam, the ghost made a re-entry with the accompaniment of ghoulish noise and wind and thunder. It advanced even nearer and howled, "eRRomaRReRROmaRReRRu". 

Auvaiyar was getting tired of this lark. Anyway she had already lost a well-earned rest and sleep. She wanted to end this parody.    So she sang a fourth verse with a different content, which ended with 'eRRoma RReRROmaRReRRu'.    

As soon as she finished the verse, she took out a fistful of vibhuthi and threw it at the ghost and commanded, "Come forth, stay and stand before me". The ghost stood still in front of Auvaiyar.   

4. Ghost appear before  Auvaiyar as a beautiful damsel 

She demanded, "Who are you? What are you? Why are you in such a plight? What is your story?" The ghost melted into a hazy figure, which formed into a very beautiful young damsel. The damsel fell at the feet of Auvaiyar and started telling her story. 

The ghost was a princess of that country long long ago. The princess's name was 'ElavAr kuzali'.   

5. Princess 'ElavAr kulzali' 

One day, she was playing a ball game called poo pandhu with her maids in that place which was a beautiful Mani mandapam in a lush garden.    Suddenly a very handsome young man appeared there. The ball fell on him. He caught it and gave it back to the princess.  Love at first sight immediately developed. 

E.Kulzali sent her spies from her entourage to find out who he was.  He was prince from another country who had gone on a tour of the various countries. On the way, he passed through E.Kulzali's capital. He was staying in a rest house and by mistake had wandered into her sanctuary garden, where no males were allowed. 

6. Elavar Kuzhali write love letter to illiterate Prince 

She sent wrote out a love letter in which she expressed the desire to meet the prince in the Mani mandapam after nightfall.    The letter was delivered in secret to the prince. But the prince could not read the letter because he was illiterate. He took the letter to a sanyasi monk who was sitting nearby, in the rest house. He was a leper. 

The prince asked the sanyasi to read the letter fro him. The sanyasi on knowing the contents, hatched a plot. He told the prince that the authorities had found out that the prince had strayed into the forbidden garden of the princess. Because of this great crime, he would be decapitated. The prince asked the sanyasi what he should do.   

7. Elavarkuzhali become Ghost 

The sanyasi told him to flee immediately. So the prince left the capital and the country with haste. The sannyasi covered himself with a shawl and went to meet the princess in the specified place. The princess mistook him to be the prince whom she loved. 

When she found out that it was the leprous sannyasi, she took out her dagger and stabbed herself. She became a very fierce ghost. The beautiful Mani mandapam and garden became haunted ruins. She used to ask, 'eRRomaRRe RROmaRReRRu' to whoever came to the ruined mandapam. Then she would kill them.   

People avoided the place altogether and the place became a haunted little wilderness.  The prince who ran away also died soon after that. He also became a lovelorn ghost because of unfulfilled desire.  

8.Elavar kuzhali take birth as 'Thamilz aRiyum PerumAL' 

Auvaiyar took pity on the ghost and told it that it will immediately be born as a beautiful girl again. She will be named 'Thamilz aRiyum PerumAL'. She will be an exponent of all the 64 arts and be an expert in many languages and would be a renounced poetess. She will lay down impossible tests for suitors who come to marry her. They would all lose the tests and will not be able to marry her.   

The prince will be born again as Tamil scholar who will come and take up her challenge and win all the tests and marry her.  They will live happily ever after. This is  story of Thamilz aRiyum PerumAL.e write up has inputs from a fiction by Dr Jeyabharathi.